China calls for testing in two cities

BEIJING — Residents of parts of Shanghai and Beijing have been ordered to undergo further rounds of coronavirus testing after the discovery of new cases in the two cities, while tight restrictions remain in place in Hong Kong, Macao and other Chinese cities.

Shanghai has only just emerged from a strict lockdown that confined most of its 24 million residents to their homes for weeks and the new requirements have stirred concerns of a return of such harsh measures.

The latest outbreak in China’s largest city, a key international business center, has been linked to a karaoke parlor that reopened without authorization and failed to enforce prevention measures among employees and customers, according to the city health commission.

All such outlets have been ordered to temporarily suspend business, the city’s department of culture and tourism said.

Beijing has also seen a recent outbreak linked to a nightlife spot. It has been conducting regular testing for weeks and at least one residential compound in the suburb of Shunyi, where many foreign residents live, has been locked down with a steel fence installed over its entrance to prevent residents from leaving.

Enforcement in China’s capital has been far milder than in Shanghai, although officials continue to require regular testing and prevention measures.

In the northern city of Xi’an, whose 13 million residents endured one of China’s strictest lockdowns over the winter, restaurants have been restricted to takeout only and public entertainment spots closed for a week starting Wednesday.

Mainland China reported 353 cases of domestic transmission on Wednesday, 241 of them asymptomatic.

Shanghai announced just 24 cases over the past 24 hours, and Beijing five.